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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: swing · plane · band · prune · stock · craft · bay · mine

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. stock — shares
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. craft — a skill
  6. prune — to trim
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. swing — in golf
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. swing — music
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. craft — boats
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. stock — goods
  16. plane — a tool
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. mine — for digging
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. band — a ring
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. band — a music group

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com